Monday, 16 January 2017

Come and meet Victoria Cornwall and The Thief's Daughter!

Welcome to my
blog, Victoria.
Please take a seat and would you like a glass of something?

It’s a pleasure. And yes please. That Prosecco looks
inviting and we are celebrating after all aren’t we?

We are indeed! I
can't wait to read The Thief’s Daughter, it sounds so full of adventure,
mystery and good romance of course. I'm sure those that love Poldark will be
very interested in Jenna's story!

Can you tell me
where you got the idea for the story?

Yes, my husband and I were walking the coastal path of North
Cornwall and came across Pepper Cove. The strange name came from its murky past
as it had been used as a popular landing site for smuggled spices in the 18th
century. I wanted to write a story which was set near the coast and seeing the
cove reminded me of Cornwall’s
smuggling history.

How much do you depend on Cornwall for your
inspiration?

Quite heavily, I think. The geology, its history, the
historic buildings, monuments and local industries, all inspire my writing. The
names I choose for my fictional villages are often formed from its old Celtic
language and I like to give some of the characters Cornish names.

I love Cornish
names too. Did you have to do lots of research to make sure you had the right
setting and terms for 18th century Cornwall?

Yes, but I enjoy history and researching the past. The
internet is very useful for research purposes, although you have to be careful
and recheck the accuracy of the material. Cornwall
also has several museums which feature the history of smuggling. I was able to visit
them and learn how goods were hidden until they were able to be collected, see
the implements the smugglers used as weapons and be reminded of how prolific
and well organised the smuggling operations were.

Fascinating. Who
is your favourite character in the book and why?

I love all of the main characters. Jenna is feisty and
shows great loyalty, but finds herself in a very difficult situation. The
mysterious, brooding Jack Penhale is on a mission, but he has a great sense of
humour which only Jenna can bring out in him. However, I think I enjoyed
writing the character of Silas the most. His behaviour is so outrageous that at
times I had to rein myself in as he had no intention of doing it for himself!

Isn’t it odd how
characters just do as they please sometimes? Is this your first book and if
not, are your others historical romances too?

The Thief’s Daughter is my first traditionally published
book, but in actual fact it is the third I have written. The first two were
self published historical romances which were both nominated for the
RONE Indie and Small Published Book Award in America. The
second was also short-listed for the New Talent Award at the Festival
of Romantic Fiction in England.

Excellent! What
are you working on now?

I’ve just completed another book and am researching the
next one. I would love to tell you about them, but can say very little for now,
other than they are all set in Cornwall.

Cornwall is the
best! I would say that though wouldn’t I? How long does it take you to complete
a book?

It takes me between 8 to 12 months to write a book as I
also have a day job too.

Where would you
like to be career wise in five-years?

A few years ago I would have said where I am now, with a
traditional publishing contract. However, writers are terrible for moving the
goal posts and wanting more … an award … a best seller … enough money to give
up the day job etc. It would be lovely to have all of those things, but most
importantly for me I just want my books to be available to a larger audience,
for readers to enjoy my books so much that they recommend them to their
friends.

I’ve always said that I would like to see my book in
someone’s grocery trolley, wedged between a tin of baked beans and a bottle of
ketchup, as it would mean my books are mainstream and a part of everyday life. I
think that wish, or perhaps I should say goal, still holds true today.

Oh I would love
to see that for mine too! One day I hope. Thank you so much for joining me today
and best of luck with The Thief’s Daughter!